1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to motor vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to an arrangement for storing a spare tire under the floor of a motor vehicle.
2. Discussion
An example of a prior art vehicle spare tire mounting arrangement is shown in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,629, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. The arrangement positions the spare tire immediately below the floor panel of a motor vehicle and includes an elongated carrier member suspended from the vehicle. First and second holding rods cooperate with the carrier member for storing the spare tire. The carrier member includes a main tire support portion having first and second connectors adjacent each end thereof with each connector offset a predetermined dimension from one side of the main support portion. The first holding rod lower end is attached to the first end connector by a universal hinge assembly enabling the carrier member, upon release of the second holding rod from the second connector, to be pivoted about a transverse horizontal axis from a horizontal tire stowage position to a downwardly angled tire removal position. A universal hinge assembly enables the operator to rotate the downwardly angled carrier member about its longitudinally extending axis of rotation, which includes the end connectors between a pair of tire stowage modes.
The end connectors are oriented below the main support portion such that a tire is adapted to be supported on one side of the main support portion. To attain an alternate stowage mode, the universal hinge assembly is unlocked and the carrier member rotated 180 degrees. The end connectors are oriented above the main support portion enabling a maximum thickness tire to be supported on the opposite side thereof.
Arrangements of the type shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,629 remove the spare tire from other known mounting locations, such as within the vehicle or on a rear panel of the vehicle. In this manner, the cargo carrying capacity of the motor vehicle is not impeded and access to the vehicle is not restricted. However, access to the spare tire may be difficult. Primarily in this regard and insofar as the present invention is concerned, typical arrangements for mounting a spare tire to the underside of a floor panel may be difficult to access.
Thus, need remains in the art for an arrangement which mounts the spare tire to the underside of a floor panel which is operative for lowering the spare tire to a position more readily accessed by a user.
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide an arrangement for storing a spare tire under the floor pan of a vehicle which rearwardly displaces the spare tire upon release.
In one form, the present invention provides a mounting arrangement for storing a spare tire under a floor panel of the motor vehicle. The arrangement includes a cable coupled to the spare tire. A winch device is disposed between the motor vehicle and the cable and is operative for raising and lowering the tire in response to actuation thereof. A spring device is coupled between the bottom surface of the motor vehicle and the spare tire. The spring device is operative for biasing the spare tire rearward relative to the motor vehicle when the spare tire is being lowered.
In another form, the present invention provides a method of lowering a spare tire from a stored position adjacent an underside of a floor panel of a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle includes a cable interconnecting the spare tire and the underside of the floor panel and a winch device for winding and unwinding the cable to raise and lower the spare tire, respectively. The method includes the step of interconnecting the underside of the motor vehicle and the spare tire with a biasing mechanism. The method further includes the step of rearwardly biasing the spare tire relative to the motor vehicle against a gravitational force as the spare tire is lowered.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from a reading of the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.